trait
[ treyt; British also trey ]
/ treɪt; British also treɪ /
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noun
a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one's personal nature: bad traits of character.
a pen or pencil stroke.
a stroke, touch, or strain, as of some quality: a trait of pathos; a trait of ready wit.
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Origin of trait
1470–80; <Middle French: literally, something drawn <Latin tractus.See tract1
Words nearby trait
train smash, train spotter, trainspotterish, train wreck, traipse, trait, traitor, traitorous, traitress, Trajan, traject
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for trait
British Dictionary definitions for trait
trait
/ (treɪt, treɪ) /
noun
a characteristic feature or quality distinguishing a particular person or thing
rare a touch or stroke
Word Origin for trait
C16: from French, from Old French: a pulling, from Latin tractus, from trahere to drag
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for trait
trait
[ trāt ]
n.
A genetically determined structure, attribute, or function.
A distinct pattern of behavior.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for trait
trait
[ trāt ]
A genetically determined characteristic or condition. Traits may be physical, such as hair color or leaf shape, or they may be behavioral, such as nesting in birds and burrowing in rodents. Traits typically result from the combined action of several genes, though some traits are expressed by a single gene.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.